Eccleston Mere

Water Rail 1 in SW corner
Siskin 2
Buzzard 2

Crinkle Crags, Cumbria

It was a glorious yet bitterly cold day in the Lake District. We climbed Pike O'Blisco and then Crinkle Crags from Langdale, before descending down the Band to the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel for a well earned drink by the open fire!


Crinkle Crags, the Band and Bowfell.


The Band, Bowfell and Langdale Pikes.



Treacherous conditions on Pike O'Blisco.


Is this the Arctic? Looking back along the route we had just taken, from Crinkle Crags.


Close to the summit of Crinkle Crags.


Scafell and Scafell Pikes from one of the Three Tarns.

Rainford mosslands

I had a quick bike ride around the mosslands this morning, and as has been the trend recently, saw next to no birds. 300 Pink-feet and 2 Buzzards in Dairy Farm Road the only birds of note. Other than that the highlight was a singing Robin in Berrington's Lane. Oh well, here's hoping for better things in the coming weeks.

Happy New Year everybody!

Pennington Flash

Bullfinch 7
Willow Tit 2

Buzzards

Lots of Buzzards today, at least 4 along Dairy Farm Road, 2 Old Coach Road, 2 Berrington's Lane and 2 Eccleston Mere. The only Geese were 50 Pink-feet Dairy Farm Road.

Eccleston Mere

Siskin 50+ in trees at southern end
Lesser Redpoll 1+
Goldfinch 50+
Pochard 9
Kingfisher 1
Buzzard 1
Great Crested Grebe 10
Tufted Duck 6
Pink-footed Goose 50 (flying in direction of Catchdale Moss)

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, the year has petered out a bit, which is not unusual I suppose, what with dark nights and gloomy days. Hopefully in the New Year things will pick up again. Merry Christmas everybody!!

Eccleston Mere

Pochard 9 (7 males, 2 females)
Goldfinch 100
Siskin 1
Lesser Redpoll 1
Buzzard 2
Little Grebe 1

Eccleston Mere

Water Rail 1 in ditch in SW corner
Kingfisher 1

...but not much else. Long-tailed Duck on Prescot Reservoirs, strong westerly winds with blustery showers, there must be something on the mere surely? Nope, 2 Tufted Ducks and about 5 Great Crested Grebes the paltry total. I can almost see more birds by looking out of my window.

Hesketh Out Marsh

Great White Egret 1

Eccleston Mere

Willow Tit 1 in SW corner
Water Rail 1 in SW corner
Goldfinch 100
Siskin 1
Pochard 9

Tatton Park

We had a lovely walk through Tatton Park, the trees were full of autumn colour and there were plenty of deer around, including some impressive stags. There seemed to be a mini invasion of Harlequin Ladybirds, with at least five seen at various places around the park, and later we saw one in the nearby village of Rostherne. On the mere there were at least 200 Coot, 20 Shoveler and about 50 Gadwall, amongst other wildlfowl. Perhaps most interestingly, we watched as a Mute Swan adopted its aggressive wings up head down posture and drove away another Swan, virtually the whole length of Tatton Mere.